21-8
SELF-CERTIFICATION PROGRAM:
a. Well-maintained properties with no existing violations of nuisance, building, housing, fire, and health and safety codes or ordinances, and with no past violations of building, housing and health and safety codes or ordinances within a past three (3) year period, may qualify to participate in the residential rental property inspection and maintenance self-certification program (“self-certification program”).
b. Upon receipt of the request to participate in the self-certification program, the director shall determine if the residential rental property complied with the inspection, as required herein, and has not had any code violations over the past three (3) years from receiving the request. If the application qualifies, the owner, or operator on behalf of the owner, shall pay the self-certification program annual nonrefundable fee.
c. In order to maintain eligibility in the self-certification program, the owner or operator, on behalf of the owner, shall conduct an annual self-inspection of all the residential rental dwelling units, including exterior conditions and site conditions, and certify under penalty of perjury that the conditions at the property achieve the minimum standards listed on the self-certification program checklist. All information on said self-certification checklist shall be submitted under penalty of perjury to the director. It shall be a violation if any person makes a false statement in the self-certification checklist or submits false information in connection with a self-certification checklist. The owner shall not be in violation of this section if the tenant or occupant refuses to allow the self-certification inspection by the owner. The owner shall provide the city a signed statement from the tenant/occupant that the inspection was refused. If the tenant refuses to sign the statement, the owner shall provide proof, under penalty of perjury, that a request to inspect was served and it was not permitted by the tenant.
d. If the director determines that a residential rental dwelling unit is not eligible to participate in the self-certification program, then all the residential rental dwelling units on the same property shall be inspected and the owner shall be assessed the full annual inspection fee established by resolution of the city council as regulated by this chapter.
e. Each owner or operator, on behalf of the owner, shall be required to maintain a copy of the annual signed and dated self-certification program checklist for each unit for the three (3) year period and provide said list within seventy-two (72) hours upon request of the director or his/her designee. Failure to maintain complete signed checklists may result in disqualification from the self-certification program for all rental properties of that owner for a period of up to three (3) years. A copy of the annual signed and dated self-certification program checklist shall be provided to the tenant(s) of each residential rental dwelling unit inspected within five (5) working days upon request of the tenant(s).
f. Nothing in the self-certification program shall be construed or interpreted as limiting the city’s authority to investigate and compel the abatement of any nuisance, building, housing, fire, and health and safety codes or ordinance violations, or any other applicable law.
g. Any property that participates in the self-certification program may be removed from the program for three (3) years at any time if that property fails to meet all of the interior and exterior standards designated on the self-certification program checklist or fails to meet nuisance, building, housing, fire, and health and safety codes or ordinances, or other applicable laws. Each owner or operator, on behalf of the owner, may be given a reasonable time by the director to correct the violations to remain in the self-certification program. Upon removal from the program, the difference between the self-certification program fee and full annual program fee shall be due and payable. (Ord. #1702, §1)